1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to apparatus for assisting physically impaired persons in sitting down and standing up from a toilet, in general, and to a powerized toilet seat lift usable in a hospital, nursing home and assisted care facility environment, in particular.
2. Description of the Related Art
As will be appreciated, persons having severe arthritis of the hip or knee, or a severe neuromuscular disease such as muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, transverse myelitis and muscle weakness due to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis often require physical assistance in the bathroom, transitioning between seated and upright positions. As will also be appreciated, those suffering from advanced Parkinson's Disease, Guillian Barre or hemiparesis likewise require assistance to decease the stress on the hips and knees in these positionings.
Several types of powerized toilet seat lift devices have been proposed to deal with this—generally operating through a combined system of an air compressor and an air exhaust valve, controlled by the user. Common to all of them is a design intended to promote an independence of operation for the user, while reducing stress on the joints involved. Typical of these devices are those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,661,858, 5,819,325, and 6,154,896.
While these patented designs may well serve their described purposes, by-and-large, they are each intended primarily for independent use, in the home. The power-assisted toilet seat lift of U.S. Pat. No. 6,154,896, for example, is described as being a “heavy duty” assembly employing a stationary frame. The toilet seat lift of U.S. Pat. No. 5,819,325, on the other hand, is fixed to a floor surrounding the toilet and to a back wall—while the power seat lift of U.S. Pat. No. 5,661,858 is one in which its main components are also fixedly attached.
As will be readily understood, however, power toilet-seat lift arrangements are very oftentimes required in a hospital, nursing home and assisted care facility, where concern extends to not only meet the needs of the disabled, but to satisfy OSHA regulations by helping to prevent back injuries to the Caregiver. In particular, a design would be quite beneficial if it enables less staff to be used in transferring a patient, while being one which could easily be moved from room-to-room, from floor-to-floor, for different patient use. Ease of operational use is also an absolute necessity for this as well, as it cannot be expected that maintenance personnel or nursing staff are to bolt or otherwise secure the toilet seat lift apparatus to be effective. Such ability to move the toilet seat lift about, of necessity, requires that it not be overly bulky or heavy, but continue to be one which affords a large lifting characteristic. An ability to accomplish this not only protects the Caregiver, but significantly lessens any claims for compensable work injuries that might follow, thereby reducing insurance costs.
As even a brief reading of U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,661,858, 5,819,325 and 6,154,896 will show, the devices there described exhibit a degree of complexity which it would be desirable to simplify—if only to assure reliability of operation. The numerous linkages which there provide vertical translation, horizontal translation and rotation in general to the powerized seat have been analyzed to be subject to extensive breakdown. What would be desirable, instead, would be a powerized toilet seat which could easily be moved about as a portable unit, while still continuing to be able to assist the handicapped person back to their feet after use. One which would also allow easy cleaning of the seat afterwards would be particularly attractive, as would be one which could be controlled by a user-patient or by the Caregiver-staff, while continuing to maintain the powerized toilet seat apparatus fast to the floor as the toileting progresses. This last feature will be seen to protect the user-patient from accidental injury.